Catch for trunks, &amp;c.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904 J. P. CLARK.

CATCH FOR TRUNKS, &0

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- ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. CLARK, OF NEWARK, NE JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE R. NEUMANN HARDWVARE COMPANY,

JERSEY.

A CORPORATION OF NEW CATCH FOR TRUNKS, 81.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,127, dated July 12, 1904. Application filed January 21, 1904. SerialNo. 189,970. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES P. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Catches for Trunks, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to catches adapted to be employed in connection with trunks and their trayssuch, for example, as shown in my cotemporaneous application, Serial No.

189,972, filed on even date herewith, although my improvements herein described may be employed in other relations and under other conditions not specified in said cotemporaneous application.

The objects of this invention are to provide an inexpensive catch which will permit one pivotally-movable part to be easily and surely caught upon and held to another pivotallymovable part arranged to work on a center of movement eccentric to that of the first and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists i n the improved catch and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a trunk having my improved catch. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the catch members. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the other of the catch members applied to the front board of a tray,

and Fig. 4 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

In said drawings, 5 indicates the body, and 6 the lid or cover, of a trunk, and 7 and 8 are the upper and lower trays, lying in or in connection with the upper part of the body. Said trays are adapted to be raised pivotally, the upper trey being hinged or pivoted, as at 9, to the rear of the trunk-body and the lower tray having bearings on the cleats 10, as at 11, so as to turn on said bearings when the front part of the tray is. raised. The upper tray at the front is adapted to be raised from the trunk-body and fastened to the open lid or cover, as shown in Fig.v 1, the cooperating catching parts on the tray and cover being of any suitable construction, but preferably such as shown herein and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 189,971, filed on even date herewith. Because of the looseness of the bearings of the lower tray, such looseness being desirable because of the variety in quantity and kind of matters to be packed therein, the pivotal action is irregular, rendering the engagements of the cooperating catching parts of the catch, hereinafter more fully referred to, stationed on the trunk parts opposite the hinges or pivotal bearings 9 11 of the trays, correspondingly irregular. To provide a catch which will meet the requirements, I have provided the catch members 12 13, the first of which is secured to the bottom of the upper tray, so that when the said tray is raised, as in Fig. 1, it will present its catching means to thesecond catch member when 'the latter is lifted with the lower tray. Said catch member 12 comprises a long piece of sheet metal bent longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a long hook 14 to receive the cooperating catchinghook 15 of the member 13 and a flange 16, adapted to rest against the face of the tray. Said flange is perforated, as at 17. to permit of the member being fastened to said tray. The second catch member 13 is fastened to the front face of the lower tray and has its projecting spring-controlled hook 15 extend beyond the upper edge of the tray, as in Fig. 3, to engage the hook 12. Said catch member 13 comprises a sheet-metal box or casing 18, suitably flanged, as at 19, to permit an easy fastening to the tray, the lever-like hook 15 being fulcrumed at 20, so as to move in a plane parallel with the front face of the tray and at right angles to the long hook 12, whereby it is adapted to engage the said long hook at any point in the length of said hook, the said long hook being stationed on the bottom of the tray at right angles to the axes of movement of the two said trays. Said hook 15 at its end opposite the catching extremity 21 is bent or extends at right angles to the plane of movement referred to and. lies in a segmental slot 22, projecting therethrough, to provide a finger-extension 23, whereby said hook may be turned from catching engagement by the finger. A spring 24 within the box or case 18 is adapted to throw said hook into catching position to effect an automatic catching when the tray 8 is raised against the upper tray, as in Fig. 1, the forward catching extremity of the hook being beveled or rounded, so that the said hook will pass into catching engagement when the members are brought into contact. The sides of the trunk limit the endwise movement of the tray 8, so that the hook 15 is held in a path leading to the long hook 12.

To permit an automatic uncatching of the trays when the latter are turned down to their normal positions within the trunk-body, the long catch member 12 is open at its forward end, as at 25, and thus the eccentrically-moving trays are or may be detached when at the lower limits of their movements, the hook 15 sliding along the hook 12 as the pivotal movements progress and finally out from engagement at the opening 25, thus permitting the upper tray or pivotal part to be raised subsequently Without at the same time raising the lower tray 8.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the construction of my improved catch without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new is 1. The improved catch herein described, comprising a long, hook-shaped member, and a second member comprisinga casing, a hook and a spring adapted to throw said hook into catching engagement with the long hook and the said long hook permittinga sliding of the spring-controlled hook thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved catch comprising a sheetmetal member having a longhook-shaped bend or part open at one end, and a second member comprising a casing, lever-like hook and spring, substantially as set forth.

3. The improved catch comprising a member having a long catching part presenting a slideway for a second catch member, and an opening permitting a detachment of catching means at the end of the slideway, and said second catch member comprising a casing and a hook on said casing movable at right angles to the long catching part.

1. The improved catch herein described, comprising a member having a long hook forming a slideway and having an open end and a second cooperating hooked member adapted to spring into hooked relation to the first member and slide lengthwise thereon and out or away therefrom through said open end, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved catch herein described, comprising a member having a long hook forming a slideway and having an open end,

and a cooperating member consisting of a box having a segmental slot, a lever having a finger part at one end in said slot, and a hook at the other end, and a spring arranged in said box and pressing on said lever to normally hold the hooked end in catching position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 31st'day of December, 1903.

- JAMES P. CLARK. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUSSELL M. EVERETT. 

